


if i loved you less

by mercutia



Category: Legally Blonde - All Media Types, Legally Blonde - Hach/O'Keefe/Benjamin
Genre: AU, Drabbles, F/M, Fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-08-20
Updated: 2015-01-12
Packaged: 2018-02-14 00:41:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,712
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2171430
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mercutia/pseuds/mercutia
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A series of Emmett/Elle drabbles set in various universes.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

The sound of the doorbell cut off the start of Enid’s attack. After a beat of silence where the warriors each glanced at another, Emmett stood slowly and made his way to the door. It was here. The nourishment they’d all been craving an-

"Emmett?" a blonde voice inquired as he walked back into the dining room where the papers and dice were scattered across the table.

"Elle."

She smirked. “Why were you narrating the pizza delivery in your dungeon master?”

A snort was heard to his right, followed by Serena’s short ‘again’.

Dropping the pizza boxes on the table, Emmett glared at his (losers) (friends) (potential love interests) whatevers. “Honestly, you guys forget who’s paying for this greasy crap.”

"I believe that would be me, actually," Elle said as she stood up beside him, leaning subtly into his left bicep as she snagged a piece of the pineapple (he only ordered it for her - no one else would eat it).

Soon, they all settled into the living room with their paper plates and room temperature soda cans. The current adventure had been going on for nearly three hours already and Margot and Paulette insisted on a quick break to see the newest Say Yes to the Dress; something about a celebrity guest star? Emmett stopped listening after he concluded he would get no say in the matter.

Enid, Vivienn, and Chad (or was it Dewey?) were leaning against the coffee table, having pulled the sofa cushions off to use as a backrest. Nearby were Selena and Pilar, both discussing potential cosplay plans for next season’s Wiscon (“the premiere RP convention focused on feminism!”) That left Paulette and Margot to snag the cushion-less love seat and Elle took the recliner. Emmett’s recliner. Where he had been planning to sit and play his PSP until the program finished.

He told all of this to Elle who just shrugged and patted the arm of the chair mid-yawn. “My girl getting sleepy?”

A chuckle. “Mostly tired of those weak enemies you keep throwing at us. When do we get to the real adventure?”

"Wow. Uncalled for." That left only one type of retaliation; Emmett quickly ruffled her hair as much as possible before she managed to shove him back onto the floor. The blonde’s screech and his own cackles made the interaction more obvious than he’d hoped.

"Hey! Lovebirds! Not during the engagement stories, ‘kay?" Enid barked without tearing her eyes from the TV.

Unspoken rule of role-playing nights: don’t cross Enid Hoops. She WILL use friendly fire and kill your favorite characters.

Soon, everyone was settled down and Emmett’s blush had gone (for the most part) unnoticed (Paulette saw everything). As each bride, including Miss Celebrity, said “yes!” to their dresses - “honestly, we all knew they were going to approve!” “shut up, Chad, it doesn’t happen every time!” - Emmett leaned back to whisper to Elle before noticing that she’d fallen asleep. The glasses she wore on RP nights had slipped down her nose and she was curled around an empty MelloYello can.

The rest of the group stretched as they stood, moments from Vivienne and Enid pulling them into a raving discussion on… whatever, before noticing Emmett’s “shh” gestures. Nods. Soft footsteps. They’d taken their conversation back to the dining table.

Emmett looked back down at the sleeping Elle. She looked so much smaller and delicate - shocking, with how loudly she snored. He’d have to tease her about it later. Noticing her bare feet and goose-bump covered arms, he tiptoed over to the couch and snagged the Harry Potter blanket his mom had knit for him back in his freshman year of college. Slowly, Emmett tucked it around her, and took the soda can from her artist hands. God, she was so beautiful. And totally out of his league. Guild? Out of his guild.

…She would have laughed at that.

His smile slowly fell. Everyone else joked about the two of them, but these feelings were so real to him. And her, it seemed. “Seemed.” That’s exactly what kept him from saying anything. What if’s were everywhere though inevitable.

Vivienne peeked her head into the room. “Em, we gonna finish up here or what?”

"Yeah." He turned around. "Can we put Elle’s halfling at the inn for now?"

—

Once everyone had left, Emmett walked back to check on Elle, who was still asleep. When he placed the glass of water he’d brought beside her, a small voice beside him whispered.

"Thank you, m’lord."

Maybe she hadn’t been dreaming after all. “Way to chicken out of my final battle, huh?”

A scoff. “Fuck off.” Beat. “Can I stay tonight?”

"Anything for my heroine."

 


	2. sinners in the hands of an angry god

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Demon AU.

The church was quiet this time of night, the last of the soccer moms having made their stop hours before. But someone always had to be there, or else what good was the building as a source of asylum? Being new to the ministry, it was Father Forrest's job to tidy up and be on the look-out for the midnight visitors. There was no shortage of emergency crises of faith; there was always a high percentage chance of lone worshippers wandering through the church's main doors.

Emmett was in the middle of stacking the new children's hymn books when an uneasy feeling settled in his stomach. Pausing his work, the pastor glanced around him. _Hm, had he been the one to turn out the hallway light?_ "Whatever..." Emmett mumbled, turning quickly back to his work. In his haste, a large cross in the middle of the table was knocked over by his elbow. It seemed to fall to the ground in slow motion before shattering, the sound like an explosion in the eerie quiet of the church building.

"Sh-!" Emmett nearly cursed as he bent to pick up the pieces. _Father Richards would surely kill him for this..._

"Need help there?" a sharp feminine voice sliced through his thoughts.

"Ah!" Emmett spun around, gasping, and cutting a finger in the process. "I-I'm sorry, miss. I didn't see you come in."

The woman smiled at him, seeming to be able to read him in a more intimate way than anyone ever had before. Her blonde hair appeared to glow and the bright pink of her peacoat pulled Emmett's eyes down. A cold radiated off of her, but in a way that make the pastor feel as if he were burning. Or maybe that was a blush.

After a quick up-down appraisal of Emmett, she spoke. "I didn't mean to scare you. My name's Elle, by the way..." Elle trailed off, glancing around the room as if unsure how to proceed.

"It's nice to meet you, Elle." Emmett forced out a smile, still startled from her entrance. "Is there anyway that I, uh, the church can help you tonight?" Definitely a blush. And his hand was still bleeding - just grand!

"I'm not... I don't know. I haven't really done this before." Elle was staring at Emmett's bleeding finger. Self-conscious, he clasped his hands behind him.

"Done... been to a church?" That was the case with a large portion of the midnight visitors ergo he wasn't too shocked.

With a tight smirk, Elle replied. "Sure. Malls are more my speed. And clubs."

There came a giggle from Emmett which turned subtly sour as Elle came a few steps closer to him. "Haha! So!" _Where was Foxy Forrest when you needed him?!_ "What services can I offer this fine evening?"

"Oh... I can think of a few." The woman was still moving towards him, a soft wind following that left his nerves burning for more, more, more. Emmett didn't realize that he had closed his eyes until he felt long, perfectly-manicured fingers pull his hands from behind his back. He suppressed a gasp as Elle studied the now-blood-soaked hand. "You should really be more careful..." she said lightly, before drawing the finger with the source of the cut between her lips.

Emmett's breath trembled out in his exhale. "Ah, you, uh..."

He didn't pull his hand back. By the time the woman finally lowered his left arm, Emmett still hadn't regained speech. The back of his hand was still painted with a thin layer of blood except for his ring finger where his pale skin was clearly visible, no cut in sight.

"You fixed me..."

Elle's eyes seemed to glow in the dim lights. "Nothing was broken."

 

Her words settled in his chest, radiating an odd warmth that he hadn't felt in too long of a time. Emmett swallowed slowly, trying to wrap his head around exactly what was happening. _Who was this woman? What was she doing here? How did she heal his wound? Why wasn't any of this startling to him?_

__

His thoughts were interrupted by a pair of soft lips settling on his own. Elle had been slowly inching forward, backing Emmett up against the table behind him where the bibles and hymn books were stacked oh-so neatly. He found himself wrapping his arms around her petite waist, leaning into the kiss, feeling the power radiating from Elle. She bent her head down, speaking softly. "I have to go now..."

Unthinking, Emmett's hands pushed her away lightly, leaving an empty feeling. "You... you can't do that. Here. I mean. You shouldn't. I'm sorry."

She gave an ironic laugh and, after several long seconds, finally met his eyes again. With a gasp, he realized her eyes _had_ been glowing. The harsh yellow contradicted everything that he would have concluded about her, from pink jacket and kitty heels to the blonde hair and 5'4" figure.

That was the last impression he ever expected to have of Elle since she turned quickly and speed-walked out of the church building. He considered chasing after her, but really, what good would it have done? Shaking, Emmett turned back to his hymn books, straightening the stacks and refusing to entertain the thought of meeting the stranger again.

\--------

Emmett woke late the next morning, his sleep restless and full of preternatural dreams. Images of angels and original sin floated in front of his vision as he pulled himself out of bed. Only partially aware, the man dragged himself through his morning routine until he was at the church. The halls seemed oddly empty and a quick glance towards the main sanctuary revealed nothing and no one. Had he missed some weather report that would cause every church member, worker, and worshipper to stay at home?

That would have coincided with his dreams. At one point, a demon woman, made of smoke and passion, had danced in the cold rain until it turned to ice, stabbing through her yet causing no damage. Emmett had watched her dancing from the sidelines where he was protected by a small shack. _(Did it resemble the barn where Mary had given birth to Jesus?)_

The more superstitious sisters at the church may have taken this as a sign. Emmett just shook it off, pointedly not thinking about his little misadventure with the Woman In Pink. Faintly, he heard delicate footsteps echoing on the stone floor of the foyer. Apparently he was the only one in the church and the duty fell to him to greet the grieving widow, teenage father, recovering addict, whatever.

But what met his eyes was Elle, in a new pink dress and holding a cigarette. Speak of the devil and she may appear. "You know," Emmett's voice cracked. "You know, you're not supposed to smoke in here."

She laughed. "I'll have to brush up on my deadly sins, I guess. Care to be my study buddy?"

He didn't move. Or speak. Or really do anything but stare at the cigarette, and behind her, the grey clouds outside the window. Breathing was also a struggle.

Wait. Breathing was also a struggle. Emmett clutched his chest, inhaling but only sucking in more and more smoke. He fell to his knees, becoming lightheaded. The sound of shoes clicking across the foyer made a small impression in his conscious so he focused in on that. No matter what, his breathing refused to even out.

Until a cold hand rested on his shoulder. "It's not real, Emmett."

Emmett lifted his head to stare at Elle. She hadn't moved her hand, but the smoke had seemed to clear. Although... _Where would it have come from in the first place?_

Elle knelt in front of him, forcing him to meet her eye. "Emmett Forrest, right? Nice to see you again. We don't have a lot of time so you need to let me talk."

"What?" Things were still so unclear.

"This isn't real. This is a dream. You imagined that my cigarette was lit, so smoke appeared. See?" Elle held up the unlit cigarette. "Breathe easy now..."

So he did. Listening to her was too easy. "So you're not real then?" _Figures._

__

She shook her head, smiling slightly. "Should I be offended? I'm just as real as you. The difference is I'm... able to visit dreams. And that’s where it gets,uh, weird. I am what you might call a… demon.”

Pause. "Wait. What the fu-... Heck."

Elle giggled, rolled her eyes, and humored him as if she's been doing it her whole life. "Ask me your questions; I'll tell you no lies."

"Hard to believe from a self-proclaimed demon. A demon who met me _in a church._ "

Elle nodded, taking her hand off his shoulder (it left a warm patch, but not in a pleasant way), and sitting back to consider. "I think we need to start from the beginning.At that point, last night, I wasn't a full demon. That only happened when I... kissed you."

Emmett shifted and folded his hands behind him. They were both sitting on the foyer floor of an empty church in Emmett's dream. That makes sense.

"I was human once. I had a boyfriend. And lived in Malibu! I wouldn't be able to stand the heat now but... It was nice, and I was moving up in the fashion industry. Then Warner -" At Emmett's confused expression, she explained further. "My... almost-fiancé." He didn't comment on that. "Warner was going to go to Harvard Law School when his father went bankrupt. Warner had no savings for himself and could no longer, uh, buy his way in. So that dolt turned to black magic. Deals with demons. All very Faustian."

Elle stood and began pacing the foyer. "Faust! How do I know that? Demon knowledge, I tell ya. All sorts of weird things. Gibbets?"

Emmett cleared his throat from his spot on the floor. She smiled at his discreet indication to continue. "Right. So Warner gets himself involved with some demon girl named Vivienne - who I will say is actually very pretty, but needs to stop scowling all the damn time. What's the demon situation with wrinkles? Where can I buy hell-proof cream? Anyway. Warner ends up a demon himself because of the big bad named Callahan but at least he got into Harvard right? And little naive Ms. Woods follows him straight there. I talk, he summons magic. Suddenly I'm roped into some demonic training regime! Which brings us to here. The last part of the ritual before I walk free: Corrupt a future saint."

Elle stopped, breathing in and out slowly. When she finally met the pastor's eyes again, she didn't see the fear or hatred she expected but sympathy. _Guess the 'saint' reveal went over your head. A lot to take..._

"Emmett, you have to believe this next part. When I kissed you, I saw your soul. And it glows with this... radiant light. More than that I saw my soul for the first time... I think our light is meant to match. So I can't turn you over to Callahan. That's why I'm here. I'm a demon in-training, as ridiculous as it sounds, so maybe I can still find a way out. But you need to escape and this is my warning." Elle took a deep breath, bracing herself, before turning around to leave the dream-church.

"Wait! Let me... let me help you."

She didn't even glance back at him, simply closed her eyes, and walked back out of Emmett's dream as easily as he entered his life.

 


End file.
